From idea to $50 app: Ukrainian developer created an app with AI in just 2 months. How Pickapocket will help families and friends manage shared expenses

The application was born not as a startup idea, but as a personal solution to a daily problem

The idea to create an app for joint expense management came to Alexey and his wife in mid-May 2025, when they faced a classic problem: they wanted to buy something, but didn’t know if they could afford it without harming other budget items.

Because existing solutions did not cover the couple’s needs, and Oleksii  planned to finally start controlling expenses from June 1, he had a few weeks to create an app with the basic functionality that his family needed.

The combination of technical expertise, a clear idea, and AI allowed us to create a working product in record time.

From idea to closed beta testing, it took only two months. Development was carried out mainly on weekends and in the evenings after regular work. Without the use of AI and without sufficient experience in new technologies, such a project would have taken much longer.

During the development process, Cursor IDE became an indispensable assistant. Thanks to this tool, we were able to significantly speed up the process of building the application architecture, optimize the logic, and even test individual parts of the functionality in real time.

«AI has become more than just a code generation tool, but also a valuable conversationalist. When I’m unsure about implementing a certain feature, I first discuss the approach with AI, then make my own adjustments, and as a result, I get an optimal solution that combines best practices with my technical experience. This approach demonstrates how modern developers can effectively combine traditional skills with innovative tools to create quality products in record time,» the developer explains.

Total development costs so far have been around $50, most of which is the subscription fee for Cursor IDE.

How Pickapocket works

Pickapocket is an app that allows couples, families, and friends to effectively manage shared expenses. In addition, it helps people not only track expenses, but also change their attitude towards finances, turning every hryvnia into a step towards achieving goals.

The name «Pickapocket» came from the irony of how we often «steal» money from ourselves through uncontrolled spending, says the developer.

The application offers the following features:

• Portfolios and spending categories. Users create personal portfolios for different purposes: everyday expenses, vacations, large purchases. Each portfolio contains categories with set limits and color coding for quick identification.
• Expense tracking. Add expenses with detailed information: amount, category, date and time, description. The system automatically calculates the balance by category and shows the progress of expenses.
• Shared Portfolios. A unique feature that allows you to create shared budgets with family, friends, or colleagues. All participants see expenses, can add transactions, and track shared expenses in real time.
• Anonymous mode. The new feature allows you to use the app without registering. All data is stored locally on the device. Registration is only required for synchronization between devices or sharing.
• Synchronization. Two-way synchronization between the local database and the cloud server. Users can work offline and then synchronize data when connected to the Internet.
• Push notifications: When someone on your team adds an expense to a shared portfolio, you receive a push notification.
• Multilingualism. Support for Ukrainian, Polish and English languages with automatic device language detection.

According to Alexey, the main advantages of his product are the «Shared Portfolios» function, anonymous mode, which allows you to try the application without obligations (you can start tracking expenses right away, and register only if necessary), full work without the Internet, simplicity of the interface, and local data storage.

Basic functionality is free for all users. There are also premium features available for a subscription, namely:

• advanced analytics with detailed reports and forecasts;
• unlimited number of shared portfolios;
• data export in various formats;
• priority user support;
• advanced notification settings;
• AI assistant;
• check recognition;
• portfolio templates.

The developer notes that this is far from the final list of features that are planned to be added to the subscription.

Beta testing began at the end of July

On July 21, the closed beta testing of pickapocket began and will last approximately 3 months. During this time, the team will collect feedback, identify bugs, and gradually add new features.

At this stage, the application is only available for Android users, but testing for iOS will begin soon.

«Since the launch of testing, the application has been actively improved, with daily updates, refactoring, bug fixes, and, of course, implementing the wishes of the first users. We have already released the third version of the application with updates and improvements that were formed based on the experience of our testers,» says Oleksii.

Anyone who wants to can join the beta testing via the link. To do this, enter your email and then you will receive detailed instructions on how to install the application on your phone or tablet.

«This is not just a chance to test a new application, it’s an opportunity to be part of its creation, influence the functionality, and help make the product better,» the developer notes.

About plans

In addition to the mobile application, a web version is planned to be launched in the future. It will allow you to work with advanced analytics and save or export reports in various formats.

They also plan to launch an AI assistant to analyze expenses and provide personalized financial advice, recognize checks using a camera, create a template system for quickly setting up typical budgets (monthly expenses, vacation, repairs, education), and a more flexible push notification system.

In addition, there are plans to adapt the application for other countries with support for local currencies and financial features.

Previously, we talked about a developer from Kharkiv who, using AI, created the iWonda application to support interesting conversations on any topic.

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